Setting a precedent for the entire country, the Union tribal affairs ministry has revised its views to re-interpret theForest Rights Act (FRA) and allow the Maharashtra forest department to get control back over forest management and a grip on the lucrative
trade worth crores in forest produce such as tendu leaves and bamboo. The ministry had previously concluded that only tribals and other forest dwellers had rights to manage their forests under FRA.

The Ministry of Environment today has put out a notice allowing Jallikattu, the traditional bull fighting practise.

Jallikattu is 'celebrated' around Pongal and the Environment Minister was under pressure from the state unit of the BJP to allow the festival to be organised with an eye on the Tamil Nadu assembly elections.

Car free days proposed for Ahmedabad in draft budget [http://cmsenvis.cmsindia.org/resources/newspaper/details.asp?id=77474]

FLOATING THE concept of “clean, green and blue Ahmedabad”, Ahmedabad Municipal Corporation (AMC) Commissioner D Thara officially announced the plan to keep cars off roads on certain days in her draft annual budget for 2016-17 presented on Thursday.

In order to bring down pollution levels and ease traffic woes, the AMC’s annual draft budget of Rs 5,655 crore categorically talks about the importance of a car-free day.

Pollution Board orders ashrams near Ganga to make alternate waste disposal arrangements within a month
(Issue of the week, January Week #1 (2016))

DEHRADUN: In an important step to check river pollution, the Uttarakhand Environment Protection Pollution Control Board (UEPPCB) has issued a notice to the industries, ashrams and hotels of Haridwar not to dispose sewage into the Ganga. It directed the
bodies to make their own arrangements of sewage treatment plants (STPs) in this regard in one month's time.

JOHANNESBURG: African Penguins struggle to find food at sea, contributing to a sharp drop in numbers over the years. The endangered animals also face a shore-based threat in South Africa — from pet dogs.

More than 40 penguins were killed this year by one or more dogs and authorities recently increased patrols in a penguin nesting area where people often take their dogs for a walk.

BENGALURU: Union environment minister Prakash Javadekar today said the government will surely think of banning use of phosphate in detergents when there was an alternative to do so.

"The professor here has given a very good idea. He said why should we use phosphate in detergents when an alternative already exists which is cost-effective; is a better technology and which is clear ...," he said in an interaction with Indian Institute
of Science (IISc) students at a seminar on Climate Change here.